Printing press



Sept. 30, 1941. J. l- JIROUSEK I 2,257,502

PRINTING PRESS Fiied Jan. 5', 1938 e Sheets-Sheet 1 v INVENTOR. (/53 0; .97. (fr/0100f- BY i v QWWM'J ATTORNEY Sept. 30, 1941. J.'F. JIROUSEK' 2,257,502

PRINTING PRESS Filed Jan. 5, 1,958 I 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 I INVENTOR.

\ y Jose 0% 7, zfzkamia/ ATTORNEY Spt. 30, 1941. J. F. JIROUSEK PRINTING PRESS 6 Sheet-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 5, 1938 f INVENTOR. c/Zaep/f SZJEZ OZJJZZ Sept. 30, 1941,

J. F. JIROUSEK I PRINTING PRESS Filed Jan. 5, 1958 G Sheets -Sheet INVENTOR ATTORNEYJ,

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PRINTING PRESS 7 Filed Jan. 5', 1958 s Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

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' PRINTING PRESS Filed. Jan. 5, 1938 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR. Jbaepfi .9? JPkaaaek ATTORNEY);

Patented Sept. 30, 1941 PRINTING PRESS Joseph F. Jirousek, Clevel The Chandler & Price Ohio, a corporation of and, Ohio, assignor to Company, Cleveland,

Application January 5, 1938, Serial No. 183,476

3 Claims.

This invention relates, as indicated, to printing presses, but has reference more particularly to improvements in the lithograph or offset press described in my Patent No. 2,109,486, and my copending patent application Serial No. 19,688, filed May 3, 1935. This application is a continuation in part of the aforesaid patent and application.

Among other objects of the invention is the provision of a press of the aforesaid character which will operate in a continuous manner and at high speeds, and which is of compact, rugged construction.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims; the annexed drawings and the following description setting forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical means in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a press embodying the novel features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the press;

Fig. 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the press, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the sheet feed plate;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view, showing mechanism for actuating the side-gauging and other devices associated with the press;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the press, taken on the line 66 of Fig. 3;

Figs. 7 and 8 are views showing more or less diagrammatically the actuation of the grippers of the impression cylinder;

Figs. 9, 10, 11 and 12 are fragmentary views showing the actuation of the gripper fingers 0f the sheet-delivery conveyor;

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary view showing adjusting means for the impression cylinder;

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary view showing means for eliminating backlash in the gearing driving the impression cylinder;

Fig. 15 is a view showing means for permitting circumferential adjustment of the lithograph plate cylinder;

Fig. 16 is a view, partly in section and partly in side elevation, of the water-supply or fountain; and

Fig. 17 is a cross-sectional view, taken on the line "-17 of Fig. 16.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,

the press is seen to comprise a framework 2 of suitable construction, in which are mounted an impression cylinder I for carrying paper to be printed or lithographed and a transfer cylinder T, the transfer cylinder being below the impression cylinder and in generally vertical stack arrangement therewith. In addition, a lithograph plate cylinder L is conveniently arranged below the impression cylinder and is adapted to be driven in step with the cylinders I and T.

The cylinder L is driven by means comprising an electric motor 3, endless belt 4, flywheel or pulley 5, drive shaft 6, and pinion l. The cylinder L, in turn, drives the cylinders T and I, all of the cylinders being suitably intergeared with each other.

The impression cylinder I is supplied with paper from a supply feed table 8, which is fed upwardly step by step as the sheets are removed from the top of the stack and suitable mechanism for thus elevating the feed table, for removing the sheets therefrom and for feeding the sheets towards the impression cylinder are described at some length in the aforesaid co-pending application, Serial No. 19,688. However, instead of using rollers, as shown in said application, to convey the sheets from the feed table to the impression cylinder, a series of laterally spaced endless driven tapes 9 (see Figs. 1 and 6) are employed for this purpose.

The sheets are carried by the tapes 9 onto a feed plate I 0, and continue in motion on such plate until their leading edges strike stop gauges II, which are disposed below the cylinder I. These stop gauges are mounted on a bar 12 which extends transversely of the press and is mounted for vertical sliding movement in brackets l3 which are secured to the frame of the press. The bar 12 is normally maintained in its uppermost position by means of expansion coil springs 14, which are interposed between the ends of the bar and angle brackets 15 secured to the brackets l3, and. when the bar is in this position, the stop gauges are in sheet gauging position. When the sheets are thus gauged, they are in position to be seized by the grippers of the impression cylinder, as will be presently described.

In order. to permit the sheet to be thus seized or gripped, and to be removed from the feed plate It), the bar I2 is adapted to be periodically lowered, and for this purpose the following means is provided. A rock shaft 16 is journalled in the brackets l3 and has keyed thereto a lever H, the forward end of which engages the upper edge of the bar I 2, as shown in Fig. 6. The shaft 16 2, 3 and 5. Such mechanism includes right and left register plates 22 and 23 respectively, each having a register finger 24 which extends downwardly into a slot 25 in the plate [8. Each of the plates 22 .and 23 has secured thereto a pair of pins 26 which extend through a bracket 21. One of the brackets 21 is secured to ashaft 28, as by means of a set screw bracket is similarly secured to a shaft 38. The shafts 28 and 30 are parallel and spaced from each otherfand their inner overlapping ends have rack portions 3iand 32 respectively, which are in mesh with a pinion 33, t The shafts are mounted for reciprocal movement in a bracket 34 which is secured to the center of a cross-bar 35, the ends of which are bolted to upright portions of the frame of the press. 7 is revolvable on the bracket 84. The outer portions of the shafts 28 and 30 extend through provided therefor in the frame of the 2 21 2 press, the shaft 28 extending beyond the frame, as shown inlFig. 3, and into engagement with a surface cam 36 mounted on the inner face of a holder 31. on a stub shaft or pin 38, which is secured to a bracket 59, secured as at 40 to the frame of the press. t

The cam holder 31 has secured to its outer surface a drive sprocket 4|, which is driven through 1 the intermediary of a sprocket 42, keyed to the shaft 2| of the impression cylinder, and a chain The shaft 31! .also extends beycnd the frame,

as shown in Fig. 3, and carries at its outer end accSllar 44, between which and the frame is interposed a compression coil spring 45. This springserves to force the shaft 30and therefore the gauge plate 23 to their ou termost positions, and also acts, throughthe rack 32, pinion 23 and rack 3|, to normally maintain the shaft'28 and gauge plate 22 intheiroutermost positions, the shaft 28 being thus maintained in constant engagement with the cam 36.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that with each revolution of the impression cylinder, the gauge plate 22' is moved laterally to gauge the sheet laterally, assuming that the gauging is from the right to the left, as viewed from the cylinder or front end of the press. For right to left gauging, the gauge plate 23 is moved to the left sufficiently to avoid striking of this plate by the sheet while being gauged by the plate '22. For left to right gauging, the gauge plate 22 is similarly moved to the right sufficiently to avoid being struck by the sheet during gauging thereof by the plate 23. For the purpose of thus moving the gauge plates, as well as to provide for accurate adjustment thereof, each plate is adapted to be moved by means of an adjustment screw 46 which is secured at one end to the plate and is in threaded engagement with the bracket 21. It will be understood that with each gauging movement, the plates 22 and 23 approa'cheach other, but one of the plates will 29 and the other The pinion 33' The holder 31 is revolubly mounted be non-effective for gauging purposes, as already described.

In order to facilitate side gauging of the sheets, particularly thin sheets which are likely to curl, it is desirable to stiffen the sheet laterally while it is thus being gauged. For this purpose, mechanism is employed, consisting, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, 5 and 6, of a bar or roll 41 which extends transversely of the press directly below the shafts 28 and 30, and is supported at its ends in brackets 48 which are carried by holders 49. The holders 49 extend through apertures in brackets 50 which are secured to the cross-bar 35, and have enlarged upper portions 5|, between which and the bracket are interposed compression coil springs 52. These springs serve to normally maintain the bar 21 in its uppermost position, as shown in solid lines in Fig. 6. The portion 51 of each holder49 is slotted and supports a roller 53 which, by means of the spring 52 is constantly maintained in engagement with a cam 54 eccentrically mounted on a rock shaft 55. The shaft 55 is rocked or oscillated by means of a cam 56, which is secured to the shaft 2| of the impression cylinder, through the intermediary of a cam roller 51, lever 58 and lever 59. The lever 58 is pivotedas at 66 to the frame of the press, and the lever 59 is keyed to the shaft 55. Upon each revolution of the impression cylinder, the roller M will thus be depressed to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6, in which position it will crimp the sheet S slightly in a transverse direction, as shown, so that that sheet, as it is sidegauged, will have sufficient stiffness to resist curling'thereof. This crimping or corrugating of the sheet continues throughout the gauging operation.

Following the gauging of the sheet, the sheet is ready to be seized by the grippers of the impression cylinder, but just prior to thus being gripped, and to avoid shifting of the sheet from its gauged position, the sheet is momentarily held stationary by means of suction shoes 60, which communicate with a suction manifold 6|. Suction is periodically created in the suction manifold 6| by means which are described inmy application Serial No. 19,688, and which will not therefore be further'described herein. In the present construction, however, the suction manifold and shoes are stationary instead of being movable as in theaforesaid application.

The impression cylinder is of a construction similar to that described in my U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,058,888, and comprises a strip 6| of hardened steel, and a multiplicity of grippers 62 having beaks 63 between which and the strip BI the forward edge of the sheet is adapted to be gripped. The grippers are carried by a rock shaft 64 which is mounted in the ends of the cylinder. One end of the shaft 64 projects beyond the end of the cylinder and is provided with a tumbler 65 having a cam groove 66 in its outer surface. This tumbler isutiliz ed for closing the grippers when the sheet is to be removed from the feed plate l0 and for opening the grippers to release the sheet after the printing operation. The closing and opening of the grippers is diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 8,, wherein the numerals 6'! and 68 designate pins extending parallel with the axis of the impression cylinder and carried by a bracket (not shown) secured to the frame of the press adjacent one end of the cylinder.

As the impression cylinder, which rotates in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, approaches the sheet-receiving position, the

shaft 89, the intermediate portion of which is of the grippers will be open, and disposed within the cylinder body, as indicated in dotted lines behind the tumbler. At this time, the grippers are maintained in the open position by means of the toggle mechanism shown-in Fig. 7, and comprising a toggle arm 69 which is keyed to the shaft 64, a toggle arm 16 pivoted to the arm 69 and extending through a rocker pin II mounted on the end of the cylinder, and a compression coil pring 12 mounted in the arm I9 between the pin II and an enlarged end portion of the arm 16. The parts of the toggle mechanism at such time occupy the position indicated by the dotted lines.

Upon continued movement of the cylinder, the pin 61 engages the outer wall of the cam groove 66 of the tumbler, forcing the tumbler to literally somersault to the position shown in dotted lines,

in which position of the tumbler, the gripper 62 will have moved to the closed position, as indicated by the dotted lines, and as clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the forward gauged edge of the sheet being thus gripped between the grippers and the strip 6!. Due to the presence of the toggle mechanism, the grippers will be closed by a sudden snap action, which has been found desirable and necessary in view of the short interval of time available for such closing. The position of the various parts of the toggle mechanism following the closing of the grippers is shown in solid lines in Fig. '7. To permit passage of the beaks 63 of the grippers during the gripper closing movement, the feed plate I9 has slots or recesses I3 formed in its forward edge, as shown in Fig. 4. r

When the tumbler 65 reaches the position shown in dash lines in Fig. 8, the pin 68 engages the inner Wall of the cam groove 66 of the tumbler, forcing the tumbler to somersault to the position shown in dot and dash lines, in which position of the tumblers, the grippers 62 will have been snapped to their open position, thereby releasing the forward edge of the sheet.

For the purpose of transporting the sheets, when thus released, to a point of delivery, conveyor mechanism, shown most clearly in Figs. 1, 3, 6 and 9 to 12 inclusive, is employed. Such mechanism comprises a pair of laterally spaced endless conveyor chains 14 and I disposed above the impression cylinder and extending rearwardly of the press above the sheet-feeding mechanism. The forward portion of these chains are carried by sprockets I6 which are mounted on a shaft Ti journaled in the frame of the press. The central portions of the upper and lower runs of the chains are supported by idler sprockets I8,

and the rear portions of the chains are carried by sprockets I9 mounted on a shaft 86 journaled in the rear ends of an overhanging or outrigger support 81 secured to the main frame 2. The conveyor chains are driven in the direction indicated in Fig. 1 by suitable driving mechanism comprising a bevel gear 82 at one end of the shaft 2| of the impression cylinder, bevel pinions 83 mounted for rotation on a bracket 84 secured to the frame of the press, and a bevel gear 85 secured to one end of the shaft 11.

Secured to the conveyor chains at suitably spaced points therealong are bars 86 which extend transversely from one chain to the other and are provided with a multiplicity of spaced stationary gripper fingers 61. Each bar 86 has tumbler 65 occupies'the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 8, in which position of the tumbler upturned ends 88 which form bearings for a rock shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 10.

square cross-section and has secured thereto a multiplicity of flexible gripper fingers 96, corresponding in number and spacing to the fingers -81, and which flexible gripper fingers are adapted to cooperate with the fingers 81 to grip the edge of the printed sheet upon release thereof from the impression cylinder.

' :As each of the bars 86 approaches the impression cylinder, see Fig. 6, the gripper fingers 96 are maintained in open .position by means of toggle mechanism, shown in Fig. 11, and comprising a toggle arm 9| affixed to a portion of the shaft 89 which extends beyond one of the upturned ends 88 of the bar 86, a toggle arm 92 pivoted to the arm 9| and extending through an aperture in an angle bracket 93 secured to one end of the bar 86, and a compression coil spring 94 mounted on the arm 92 between the bracket 93 and an enlarged end portion of the arm 92. The parts of the toggle mechanism at such time occupy the position shown in solid lines.

As the bar 86 moves adjacent the impression cylinder, see Fig. 9, a pin 95, which extends outwardly from a bracket 96 rigidly secured to one end of the shaft.89 enters a cam groove 91 in a cam 98 which is secured to the frame of the press adjacent one end of the cylinder. This cam groove is so shaped as to move the pin sufficiently to cause the bracket 96 to rotate in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 9, thereby rocking the shaft 89 and closing the gripper fingers 96 on the fingers 61, to thereby grip the edge of the leading edge, of the printed sheet which is at this time released by the grippers 62. The gripper fingers are closed by a snap action resulting from the aforesaid toggle mechanism, and are maintained in such position by. such toggle mechanism, the parts of which occupy the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 11.

As the sheet S is carried rearwardly by the conveyor, its trailing portion is maintained in elevated position, as shown in Fig. 10, to avoid dragging of the same on the impression cylinder and adjacent parts of the press. For this purpose, mechanism is employed which is clearly Such mechanism comprises an elevator bar or roller 99 which is supported on rods I66 mounted for reciprocable movement in bearings I6I on the frame of'the press. These rods are pivoted at their lower ends ,to levers I62 which are keyed to a rock shaft I63,

the ends of which are journaled in the frame of the press. lhe bar 99 normally occupies the inoperative position shown in Figs. 6 and 9, but is periodically moved to the operative or sheetsustaining position shown in Fig. 6 and held in such position by means comprising a cam I64 on the shaft 2!, cam roller I65, a lever I66 on which the roller I65 is mounted, this lever being pivoted as at I 6! to the frame of the press, a link I68 and a lever I09, the latter being keyed to the shaft I63. Supplemental means, such as the guard strips shown in my Patent Serial No. 2,109,486, may be arranged under the conveyor to prevent the trailing portions of the sheets in Fig. 12, thus opening the gripper. fingers 9D and releasing the sheet.

printed sheets are deposited thereon. Mechanism for thus lowering the delivery table in syn- .chronism with the elevation of the feed table is described in my Patent No. 2,109,486, and need not b detailed herein. By providing the delivery table with castors H2, the table may be run off .on the floor as desired, when lowered into full discharge position. The table is disposed within a discharge frame H3, and when in position within this frame, is maintained in proper vertical alignment by guide-engagement with the frame.

For general convenience, and especially for allowing access to the feed table, the discharge frame II 3 may be mounted to swing laterally from alignmentwith the main frame 2. Thus the frame H3 may be connected to the main frame by means of hinge-connections I I4. These allow the entire frame II3, with its contained delivery table II I to be swung laterally, the initial swing-out position thereof being indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and the construction allowing swing-out to the full extent to give clear access to the portions of the press above and forwardly of the delivery frame.

By employing such pivotally mounted delivery table frame the operator is enabled to gain access to the feed table for loading, or a pre-loading device such as that disclosed in applicants .co-pending application Serial No. 231,034, new

Patent No. 2,213,736, may be employed. Such pre-loader is pivotally attached to the side of the .press opposite to that of the pivotal attachment .of the delivery table frame so'that as such delivery table is swung laterally out of the way the pre-loader may be swung into position. The empt feed table is removed and the new loaded feed table moved forwardly from the pre-loader into position to be elevated by the feed table ;.elevating mechanism, all as more fully described in the above-identified patent. Or, the feed table may be loaded by hand after swinging the de- "livery table out of the way.

Either method of loading requires ready access to the rear of the feed .table frame which is provided by the delivery conveyor outrigger support-and laterally .swingable delivery table.

with lugs H8 on the press frame 2. The screws I" have knurled knobs H9 secured to their upper ends, whereby the screws may be manipulated to rock the bushings ,I I5 to any desired position so as to adjust the impression cylinder with respect to the transfer cylinder. The adjusted .portion may be maintained by means of knurled lock nuts I20 which are mounted on the screws H1 and are movable into abutment with the upper surfaces of the lugs H8.

In order to eliminate backlash in the gearing driving the impression cylinder when the 'impression cylinder is adjusted away from; the

transfer. cylinder 11?. the helicaljdriven gear at the end of the impression cylinder may be in the form of a split gear wheel, one part I2I (Figs. 2 and '14) being fixed to the impression cylinder, and the other part I22 being circumferentially adjustable with relation to the part I2I, bolts or cap-screws I23 taking through arcuate slots I24 into the gear part I2I. On being loosened, the movable gear portion I22 can be turned sufficiently to, in effect, tighten the teeth of combined parts I2 I, I22, in the teeth of coacting driving gear I25 of the transfer cylinder T, the gear portions I2I, I22, upon tightening of the bolts I23 then working together as a single gear. In this way, backlash is eliminated.

To permit circumferential adjustment of the lithograph plate cylinder L, the helical driving gear I26 on the end of said cylinder has arcuate slots I21 therein, through which bolts or capscrews I28 take into the cylinder. When these bolts are loosened the cylinder may be circumferentially adjusted and, on tightening, the bolts, the position of the cylinder relative to the gear I26 is maintained.

Water is supplied to the'lithograph plate cylinder L by means shown in Figs. 16 and 17. Such means comprises a frame I29 mounted on a bracket 2a of the frame 2 which supports a Water fountain I29a from which Water is picked up by a pick-up roller I30 mounted on a shaft I3I whieh'is journaled in bearings I32 on the frame I29. A carrier roller I33 is mounted on a pair of swing levers I34 which are keyed at their lower ends to a rock shaft I35 journaled on the frame I29. These levers are intermittently operated by a cam consisting of two cam members I36 and I31 mounted on the shaft I3I, and which bears against a cam roller I38 carried by a lever I39 which is keyed to the shaft I35. In this way, the carrier roller I33 is alternately contacted with the pick-up roller I30 and the distributor roller I43, supplying the cylinder-contacting rollthis adjustment, the cam member I31 is secured to a sleeve I42 on a reduced end portion of the shaft I3 I, and the sleeve may be rotated by means of a worm I43 and a worm wheel I44, the latter being keyed to the sleeve. The worm I43 may be actuated by means of a handwheel (not shown). By loosening the set screw I45, the cam member I31 may set at any desired position with relation to the cam member I36 so as to give the length of dwell required, and by then tightening the screw I45, the adjustment is maintained.

The frame I29 is mounted so as to be slidable away from the cylinder L, and ,to facilitate such retraction of the frame, it is provided with a pinion I46, in mesh with a rack I41 on the brack- 'et 2a, the pinion being rotatable by means of a The frame is locked or on a stub shaft I50 extending from the frame 2, the lever engaging a pin I5I which extends from the frame I29. To retract the frame I29, the

lever I48 is first swung upwardly and rearwardly by means of a knob I52 thereon provided.

The frame I29 may be slightly withdrawn into inoperative position withoutdisturbing the lever I48 by merely turning the eccentric bushing I49, a hand crank I53 being provided for this purpose.

In View of the foregoing detailed description of the various novel features of the press, the operation of the press will be apparent, and need not be further described.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In a printing press, an impression cylinder, a pivotally mounted delivery table rearwardly spaced therefrom, a rearwardly movable feed table between said cylinder and said delivery table, a sheet conveyor running from said impression cylinder to said delivery table and passing above said feed table, and an outrigger support for said conveyor extending over said delivery table, to permit swinging of said delivery table.

2. In a printing press, an impression cylinder, a removable delivery table rearwardly spaced therefrom, a rearwardly movable feed table between said cylinder and said delivery table, a conveyor running from said feed table to said cylinder, a delivery conveyor above said feed table and first named conveyor and running from said cylinder to said delivery table, and an out rigger support for said delivery conveyor extending over said delivery table, whereby said delivery table may be removed and access had to said feed table.

3. In a printing press, an impression cylinder, a delivery table rearwardly spaced therefrom and mounted for movement laterally of th press, a rearwardly movable feed table between said cylinder and said delivery table, a sheet conveyor running from said impression cylinder to said delivery table and passing above said feed table, and an outrigger support for said conveyor extending over said delivery table to permit removal of said delivery table when so desired, and also to permit access to said feed table.

JOSEPH F. JIROUSEK. 

